Best Black Friday 2021 headphones deals available now: Sony, Bose, Beats, Jabra and more

With Apple apparently discontinuing the Beats Solo Pro, they’ve now shown up in Target’s early Black Friday deals at the new low price of $100 — in black and pink — and Amazon has matched those prices.

The Solo Pro are among the best on-ear noise-canceling wireless headphones and feature Apple’s H1 chip that enables several nifty features for Apple devices. However, these headphones don’t have the dynamic head-tracking required for Apple’s spatial audio feature while watching TV and movies — only the AirPods Pro, AirPods 3rd Generation, AirPods Max and Beats new Fit Pro have head-tracking. These support spatial audio for music listening, and while they’re way overpriced at their list price of $300, they’re a good deal at $100. 

Read our Beats Solo Pro review.

With Apple releasing the new AirPods 3rd Generation and Beats Fit Pro, we should see regular sales on the AirPods Pro this holiday season. Note that there’s an updated version of the AirPods Pro that, like the AirPods 3, includes MagSafe wireless charging (it’s a minor upgrade, but if you have Apple’s MagSafe charger — or another magnetic wireless charger — the AirPods Pro will stick to it). Since both the older and upgraded models are the same price right now, just make sure you get the one that’s MagSafe compatible. You might as well. 

Read our Apple AirPods Pro review.

Sony’s flagship WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones are once again on sale for $248, matching their low price for the year. That deal returns to Amazon and other retailers like Best Buy. Their list price is $350, but this is the second time in the last two weeks that the headphones have hit this price, and I expect the WH-1000XM4 will regularly be on sale this holiday buying season.

Note that the WH-1000XM4) were released last summer and probably won’t get an upgrade until next summer. Bose recently released its new $329 QuietComfort 45 headphones, which arguably have better noise canceling, so we expect to see discounts on this Sony moving into the holiday season.

Read our Sony WH-1000XM4 review.

Available in four color options, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 noise-canceling headphones hew more closely to the newer Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy Buds Live, both of which have eye-catching glossy curved designs and the same compact charging case as this new model. In fact, it’s the Buds 2’s design and fit — they’re 15% smaller and 20% lighter than the Buds Plus — that make them a potentially more likable alternative to the slightly better-sounding Buds Pro.

Like the Buds Pro, the Buds 2 are equipped with active noise-isolating earbuds. That means all the latest Galaxy Buds models now feature some form of active noise canceling, though it’s slight with the Buds Live, which have an open design sans ear tips. While the Buds 2 look more like shrunken versions of the Buds Pro, I found them more akin to the Buds Live in that they barely stick out of your ears and are fairly discrete. Because they sit more flush with your ears — and have that curved design — they also pick up less wind noise. They’re IPX2 sweat-resistant.

Read our Galaxy Buds 2 review.

Samsung’s bean-shaped Galaxy Buds Live were arguably the most innovative new true wireless earbuds of 2020. Like the standard AirPods, they have an open design so you don’t jam an ear tip into your ear. They’re comfortable to wear and fit my ears more securely than the AirPods. These wireless buds are discreet and basically sit flush with your ear, which reduces wind-noise while biking. I regularly use them for running and biking, and they’re great for sporting activities if they fit your ears well. But one warning: Some people won’t get a secure fit, so buy them from a retailer that has a good return policy.

They deliver good sound and work well as a headset for making calls, with good background noise reduction so callers can hear you clearly even when you’re in noisier environments. While they feature active noise canceling, it’s mild compared with the noise canceling in earbuds that have a noise-isolating design. In other words, buy them for their design and sound, not their noise-canceling features. 

Read our Samsung Galaxy Buds Live review.

Apple’s AirPods Max headphones are down to $430 in certain colors. Previously, they hit that price for the pink version, but you can now get the more popular blue and space gray versions for that price. That may still seem like a lot of money to spend for a pair of headphones, but it is $119 off their $549 list price.

Read our Apple AirPods Max review.

Bose’s QuietComfort 35 II has been around for a few years, but Bose keeps selling these popular headphones even after the release of the new QuietComfort 45 (the Bose Headphones 700 remain the flagship noise-canceling model in its line). This is just about the lowest price we’ve seen for it.

Read our QuietComfort 35 II review.

Sony’s new entry-level C500 earbuds were released just a few weeks ago. Now they’re already on sale in white at Amazon for $78 or $32 off their $100 list price for a limited time. They have been as low as $68 in a one-day flash sale. 

While the C500’s design sensibility has more in common with the high-end WF-1000XM4 than their predecessor, the WF-XB700 Extra Bass, the C500 is not a noise-canceling model and is pretty basic as far as earbuds go, with no ear-detection sensors or transparency mode. But the buds are compact, lightweight, fit comfortably and sound good for an entry-level model. 

Read our Sony C500 first take.

Amazon has been sporadically discounting its second-gen Echo Buds and they’re back down to $90, or $30 off their list price of $120. That’s not quite their all-time lowest price. On Amazon Prime Day this year, they hit $80. But it’s still a good deal for a solid set of noise-canceling earbuds with hands-free Alexa capabilities. They’re available in black or white.

Note that if you want a wireless charging case, the price ticks up to $110. That model normally sells for $140, so again you’re looking at $30 off. I thought the Echo Buds 2 offered some welcome improvements over the originals, including better sound and noise cancellation. They also fit comfortably and are decent for making calls.  

Read our Echo Buds 2 review.

The second-generation Bose Frames haven’t really seen any discounts since their release (the previous versions have been on sale). Now the Tempo, Tenor and Soprano are all $30 off or $220. The Tempo has the biggest drivers and delivers the best sound, but it is a sport model. I use it for biking and running.

Read our Bose Frames review.

Beats’ Powerbeats Pro, which have been out for a few years, list for $250 but have recently dipped to $150 (and even less in some colors), their lowest price yet. With Beats’ new Fit Pro buds arriving (read our review), we should see the Powerbeats Pro regularly on sale.

Read our Beats Powerbeats Pro review.